LIHU‘E — It’s not too late to be early. After 12 days open, early voting period will come to an end today. Those who want to avoid lines and taking time off work can still vote today at the Historic
LIHU‘E — It’s not too late to be early. After 12 days open, early voting period will come to an end today. Those who want to avoid lines and taking time off work can still vote today at the Historic County Annex Building in Lihu‘e.
The Annex building is at 4386 Rice St., next to the Historic County Building in the Lihu‘e Historic District. The building will be open fro voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In the last Primaries, early voters outnumbered those who waited for the actual election day by nearly 2,000 people. Precinct turnout on Aug. 11 was 6,809, and absentee turnout was 8,797.
Still, the total turnout on Aug. 11 Primaries was the lowest voter-turnout percentage for Kaua‘i in all elections listed on the state Office of Elections website. Only 39.2 percent of the 39,834 registered voters cast their ballots.
Maui County, however, had an even lower voter-turnout in the Primaries, with only 30.6 percent of registered voters exercising their right to vote.
For the General Elections, there is a bump in voter-registration on Kaua‘i — county Elections Administrator said there are 40,738 registered voters for the General Election, to be held Tuesday.
Big Island was the only other county in the Primaries in which the absentee turnout was higher than the precinct turnout, with 23,101 absentee ballots versus 20,252 people voting on Aug. 11.
The first time in history that the absentee turnout on Kaua‘i was higher than in the polling places was during the 2010 Primaries. In the subsequent 2010 General Elections the precinct turnout toppled the absentee turnout.
Those who miss early voting will be able to cast their ballots on Tuesday at their designated precincts and polling places from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Polling places Tuesday are:
• District 14 — Hanalei, Kilauea and Kapa‘a Elementary schools, Anahola Hawaiian Homes Clubhouse and Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center.
• District 15 — Kapa‘a and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle schools, and King Kaumuali‘i, Wilcox and Koloa Elementary schools.
• District 16 — Koloa, Kalaheo, Waimea and Kekaha Neighborhood centers, Hanapepe Recreation Center and Ni‘ihau Elementary School.
On Election Day, political campaigning is prohibited within a 200-foot perimeter of all polling places. Political advertising includes signs, clothes and accessories which include advertising, pamphlets, parades, caravans, entertainment troupes, free food and more. The same applies for the Annex building during early voting.
Visit www.kauai.gov/elections or www.hawaii.gov/elections for more information.
For more information on candidates running for office on Kaua‘i, refer to the Election Guide 2012 printed Friday by The Garden Island or download its PDF file.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
